Invisible
by Smol.Cake
Summary: Nico di Angelo's from a single-parent family, and lives permanently with his aunt for his mom is too sick to take care of him. He is constantly picked on in school by Clarisse, Clea, and Annabeth, the three sisters. But nobody stands up for him as they don't care for him at all. He's invisible to the rest. Or is he not? AU, slight Percico slash, language, mild sexual themes.
1. Chapter 1

**Invisible**

**A Percy Jackson fan fiction**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the series or any of the characters as mentioned in the story.**

**Ratings: PG-13**

**Summary: Nico di Angelo's from a single-parent family, and lives permanently with his aunt for his mom is too sick to take care of him. He is constantly picked on in school by Clarisse, Clea, and Annabeth, the three sisters. But nobody stands up for him as they don't care for him at all. He's invisible to the rest. Or is he not? AU, slight Percico slash, language, slight violence. **

"What, pretty boy? What are you going to do?" Clarisse mocked with Annabeth and Clea holding his arms to his back.

"Get away from me!" the small, frail boy screams shrilly and wriggles against the grip of the two girls behind him. He was pretty sure he'd be getting some horrible bruises there the next day.

The trio just laughed, with Clarisse jeering at him.

Nico really couldn't stand this constant bullying anymore. Working up a mouthful of phlegm, he spat it right into Clarisse's face, effectively angering the girl.

"Fuck," she cursed vilely, wiping off the spit from her face. "How dare you spit at me?" she bellowed. Nico winced and tried to put on a strong front, but nothing came. His head hung low in fear, body held limply by the other two. Clarisse grabbed his chin with an iron grip, forcing him to look up at her. All he could muster was a small whimper, his eyes fearful with the knowledge of what might happen.

"Please..." he begged.

Clarisse smirked. Her gruesome mouth moved and worked, and a ball of white liquid landed right on the tip of Nico's nose. It slid down, and trickled over the edge of his nose, and dropped onto the soft, pink lips which was closed so tightly together.

"Eat it. Eat it and I'll let you go."

The boy refused to submit to the bully's request. He kept his lips pursed, so tight he could feel te pain.

"Eat! Eat it! Didn't you hear me?"

_No, I'm not eating it. And I'll never._

"I said eat!"

_Iwon'tIwon'tIwon't_

"EAT!"

_I won't I won't I won't Iwon'tIwon'tIwon'tiwon'tiwontiwontiwont _"NO!"

Clarrisse stared intently at Nico. Her lips began to quiver slightly, her body shaking, her hands clenched so tightly into fists that her knuckles turned white.

"BEAT HIM UP!"

Annabeth and Clea let go of their grip and Nico fell to the ground, slightly dazed. They kicked and punched and scratched and beat him up, but were very careful no to hit him on the face, and not to case an obvious injuries. He curled up into a ball, covering his head with his arms, tucking his legs to his chest.

_Beat me up all you want. No one will see. It's after school._

He was pretty sure he would be all blue and black and green by the next morning, aching and sore.

Suddenly everything stopped.

Another figure stood above him. This time, this person carried him up bridal style carefully, and Nico snuggled his face into the person's shirt.

_He smells of the sea._

It calmed him. His mother used to like to go there before his sister died in a car crash.

_The tangled mess of bones and flesh._

He remembered all the picnics and discussions and games and sandcastles they used to build together. His sister, Bianca. She enjoyed collecting seashells.

_Her blood streaked face._

Those that had the sounded of the sea. Of the waves crashing, washing in onto land.

_Glass shards piercing into her body, the look of agony on her face. All because of one fucking boy who caused his parents to crash into that bus his sister was taking. _

His mom's rich black hair - for once had been let down - was blown all across her face. And for once, he saw that rare, carefree smile on his mom's face. All the worry lines seemed to disappear.

And for that once, he was happy.

He enjoyed watching people being happy. He'd do anything for the people he love just so that they would be happy.

Everyone just seemed in a rush fo everything, and everything expected perfection.

Nico tried to hit all those expectations. He just wanted everyone else that he around him to be happy. And that was all he wanted to see.

But of course, there was a limit to what each and every person could do.

Nico couldn't be bothered with all these anymore. All he wanted was to sleep. So he snuggled and curled up into the stranger's embrace and fell asleep.

Nico didn't know where he was. Wincing a little as he sat up, he began to take in his surroundings. He was clearly not in school. No school would look like this.

He himself was sitting on a bed with blue bedsheets and duvets and the walls were painted turquoise with a neat, light brown wooden desk at the corner of the room. The ceiling lights were shaped like dolphins, and there were posters of aquamarine life pasted all around on the walls. Looking back, he jolted up as he realised that there was a full body mirror, when pushed open would reveal a cupboard. Then finally he looked down at himself.

But he _was_ bandaged with medicine applied on his wounds.

_But where am I?_

The door opened to reveal a boy of about 16, with dark hair and sea-green eyes.

"Are you feeling okay?"

The boy didn't know what he was feeling. But he liked that feeling.

He knew this person. But he wasn't sure if the person knew him.

He liked this person. But he wasn't sure if the person would ever like him back.

He was Percy Jackson, the most popular boy in school.

And Nico di Angelo liked him.

_But why would he save_ me?

All Nico could do was to nod his head. He licked his lips and tried to form a reply.

"I... uh... you... why, why didn't you let them beat me up like the rest? Why do you even want to help me? Isn't Annabeth your girlfriend? Why aren't you joining her?"

Percy just smiled.

"I can't really tell you now, though," Percy says, sitting down next to Nico, leaning closer and closer to him. The younger boy could feel his skin burn from embarrassment, awkwardness, and passion.

Nico could feel the warmth radiating from Percy's skin. A small shiver coursed through his body, making his hair stand on end. The boy could feel his heart pumping faster, the sounds of his irregular heartbeats pounding in his head.

Percy pulled away. The younger boy was thankful, but yet at the same time hoping for Percy to do it again.

"I really can't tell you," Percy says with a slight tone of regret, mussing up his already tousled black hair.

"It's alright. I... I forgot to thank you. Like... for helping me?"

"Ah. That's nothing." The older boy then stands up and gives Nico a small pat on the shoulder. "If you need anything else, call me."

"But... Wait!" Nico calls out as Percy opens the door. Percy turns around.

"Yes?"

"What... what about my aunt and my mother?"

"I've informed them. You're staying over for a sleepover. Just stay in here, okay?" Percy turns back to look at Nico, giving him an assuring look before leaving the room.

Nico crosses his arms and legs over and over again, unsure of the whole situation.

**It's a little short. But well... Just an idea I had suddenly. I thought it was quite okay... I hope you found it nice!**

**And some shameless self-advertising: Go read my other Percico fanfic, Broken Promises (for those who've read it, read it again. And if you've Wattpad and is above 17, well, go look for it. Wattpad refuses to show my fanfic even though it's only PG-13. I had to change it to R in the end. For gore). Yeah. Or just check my profile for some other potentially crappy stories. **

**-yanliksgold :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Heyy! I'm back! Right. I've been a little busy recently, with all the projects and exam revisions. Okay yeah, basic summary (not the story): this a percico fic, a very, or quite OOC one at that. It's basically the development of the percico relationship in an AU/highschool setting. Percy is not going to be the shitty thickhead, but the charming, popular guy in school, and Nico isn't going to be the shitty depressed brat, but the socially awkward guy (I really hope this doesn't sound clichéd). But I'm still keeping some of the original characteristics of the characters. And I'll need some help from someone who is familiar with the American highschool setting and the average teenager in America's lifestyle, for as you can see (from my profile), I definitely do not live in America. I wish to get as many of the facts right (as well as the language), though. And if any of you, my darling readers, wish to help me, you can just PM me, or send me an email (on my profile). **

**Warnings: Hm… An awkward Nico with a Percy who loves to tease him? That's no warning. Pfft. This is basically a story with no actual plot. It's just some random thing I conjured up but felt like writing it so much. **

**Read this note please: **Normal words normal storyline, _italics Nico's thoughts/emphasis, italics and __italics with underlines__ (they always come together) Inner struggle (without line is the 'devil', and with line is the 'angel'), **ANs are in bold.**_

**~ . ~ . ~ . ~**

**Chapter 2**

Nico woke up as usual at 7am. He was to wash up, prepare his breakfast, eat it, clean the house, then go to school. And as for weekends, finish his homework. He didn't have much of a life, to be exact.

Automatically, without thinking, he got up and went for the door, still thinking that he was at home.

That he was expected to help with the chores.

That he was expected to be the quiet boy.

_That he was nothing but just a boy lurking in the shadows, invisible, ordinary, and unnoticed. _

But he forgot that he wasn't at home. He was having a sleepover (if you could even call it a sleepover) with Percy Jackson, someone he wouldn't expected to have noticed him. Stepping out, he fumbled around for his slippers, but to not find them anywhere. Giving up, he decided to make his way for the door, only to find himself slamming into the side of Percy's desk, disturbing the contents on the table.

That woke him up a bit.

_Oh yes. Percy's house. I'm at Percy's house._

"Mm…? Nico? You're awake?" Percy mumbled groggily, sitting up in his bed which was next to Nico's. The room was originally shared with his brother,Luke, but he moved out later on as he wanted to stay closer to the college he was studying in. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I…" Nico began to get a little flustered. He was feeling nervous and awkward now, and he was pretty sure he was blushing for he could feel an unfamiliar heat rise up his neck and cheeks. "Um… I… I always wake up at this time."

"That's quite early, Nico. Why?" the older boy asked curiously, standing up from the bed. Nico could quite literally feel his blush deepen. Percy was wearing nothing but a shirt and his boxers. Maybe his aunt was more conservative . He was made to wear his pyjamas to sleep every night. And it wasn't like he had much interaction with anyone, much less hot guys who he had a crush on. Like for example, Percy. The younger boy could feel his own eyes darting about, then landing back on Percy, tracing down his face, his chest and his abs through the faint silhouette of his white shirt, and… His cheeks felt like they were on fire.

Though he was pretty sure he had whatever Percy had physically, in terms of some _things_.

But it still felt… awkward. It wasn't on him. It was on _Percy. _

Like it was _Percy's_.

_Yeah, right. _

"Nico. Nico. You there?" Nico felt a hand on his shoulder, tapping him lightly.

"Y-yeah?" Nico snapped back into reality. _Did Percy notice that? I hope not. _

"You were stoning. Do you do that often?"

Nico didn't answer. He was too busy watching the curves of his lips, the way Percy's lips moved when he spoke. They were slightly chapped, but still soft-looking when not under close scrutiny.

Staring at those lips, Nico wondered how it would be like to kiss those lips. Or for those lips to kiss his. Would he feel the 'butterflies in his stomach', or would he feel like 'fireworks exploding in his mind', or even as some people say, 'sensory overload'. Well, he didn't know until he tried, right?

Percy's lips were just that little bit away.

_Just that little bit away. _

Nico could lean forward and tiptoe a little to kiss Percy. They were just a little away. The thought was just so tempting for Nico's hormone-addled brain.

_Just a second or two, Nico. It wouldn't hurt. _

_NO! Percy might be disgusted! _

_You never know till you try. _

_Tch. _

_Humph. _

To kiss or not to kiss?

Before he could make a decision, Percy pulled away.

_Aw man. There goes your chance. _

_Tch. There wasn't any chance to begin with. _

_Shut your trap up, goody-two-shoes._

"I think my mom made breakfast today. I'll go wash up. You should do so too," Percy suggested, walking out of the room and towards the bathroom.

"Uh, yeah, sure. Um… thanks," Nico said awkwardly, not knowing where to put his hands.

"It's nothing," the older boy replied before mumbling a soft, "I guess."

"I… I'm not imposing any trouble on you, am I?" Nico looked worried, and he didn't want to leave a bad impression on anyone. Especially not with Percy. It was an unexplored territory here, in which a wrong sentence, no, even _word_, would destroy everything, all the impressions Percy had of him before. He didn't want to lose Percy's friendship. He was the only one that seemed like he really cared about him.

Nico followed Percy out of the room, then re-entering the room and hastily grabbing his clothes and toothbrush before rushing out of the room again.

**~ . ~ . ~ . ~**

Breakfast was served.

And breakfast included a lot of blue food, which Nico had learnt later on that it was an obsession of Percy's. Blue pancakes, blue chocolate chip cookies (which was a secret recipe of Sally's – Percy's mom – as blue cookie batter usually turned brown after being baked, leaving only the insides coloured), blue plates, blue everything. The only things that weren't blue and was on the dining table were the silverware, the milk, and the tea and coffee.

The boy did know that Percy loved blue, but to eat blue food every morning… Now _that _was a little overboard with the blue food obsession. Nevertheless, he tucked into his food after saying a short prayer of thanks, a habit in which his aunt had instilled in him (his parents were apparently atheists).

The food was delicious, Nico had to admit. Sally was a great cook, and a very capable woman and mother. Percy's father was always working overseas, and though he tried his best to come back at least once a couple of months, but that almost always never worked out, for Poseidon was always caught up in his work.

_An emergency has cropped up, I have to go. _

That always seemed to be what he said, as Nico heard from Sally.

She loved him, _yeah_, but he was always busy. She could say they have drifted apart quite a bit, but she still loved him. Percy loved his dad a lot too, and used to go fishing with him every weekend when he had the time when he was younger. Now, he still chats with his dad over the phone through Skype or Google+. They still maintain quite a strong bond, though Percy does comment on the fact that he feels that there is something incomplete about every conversation that they have over the phone or computer.

_Every conversation they have is missing the comforting warmth of the other person's. A simple gesture of hugging, putting your arms round someone's shoulder, or even just a simple pat on the back would do much more than that of a million words, _Nico thought. He honestly missed those times where his mom and Bianca were all around, and they'd read books together in the cold winter evenings, huddled near the heater in his room. He could fondly remember that Bianca loved Greek myths, and his mom had once commented on her love for Greek myths must've been from his, no, _their_, father, for he was a History professor, and showed particular interest in the ancient Greek civilization.

A shred of warmth passed through him as he watched the scene in front him, of Percy and Sally eating and joking, bringing him back to those times which he could remember his family at the dining table, eating. He couldn't remember much of his father. All he knew was that suddenly, one day, he wasn't there at the table anymore, and his mother didn't seem as happy as before. Things went back to normal though, but all the spirit that was once present in the air didn't seem to be back.

And he never knew why.

After the accident, his mom began to fall sick, and her condition deteriorated with the passing of each day. He was forced to move to his aunt's house, and his aunt was now his guardian until his mom got well.

Which sadly never happened.

He wondered how many of those lonely breakfasts he had alone, the times he came back to an empty apartment, and the times he hoped that his mom, or even his religious aunt would be there to greet him, hug him, welcome him home, ask him how his day was, little things like that. That feeling of _warmth, _such a simple yet abstract concept was lost over the many days, months, and years, until it became a foreign concept to him.

But now, coming back to the present time, with Percy, Sally and Nico sitting together at the table, he thinks he had found that feeling of warmth again, that simple yet abstract concept.

_Warmth. _

And Nico finally smiled a genuine smile at the thought of that.

**~ . ~ . ~ . ~**

**Okay. It's something I wrote over a span of an hour, and I hope it's not too short. I hope you guys liked this. And if it's unsatisfactory, or you would just like to leave a comment, there's the review box down there, so feel free to comment on the story! **

**This was written in the midst of Geography revision, so I hope you don't come hounding after me if you spot an error here or there. I try my best to keep my works more towards quality than quantity, but some (or actually quite a bit) of errors actually slip through all those checks that I attempt to make. **

**I hope you liked this anyways, and yeah, see you soon. Ta-ta! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

There was a corner which Nico hadn't really paid much attention to. It was a small reading corner, with a couple of bookshelf and some cushions.

Nico di Angelo spent the remaining of his afternoons reading in a corner with Percy. He realised that Percy, too, enjoyed reading crime fiction, though they never seemed to be bloody, or gory. It was just suspenseful, with minimal amounts of blood and gore. The boy also found out that Percy liked art, something that he never knew.

_Hm… art. I never knew Percy liked art. _

There were still so many things Nico didn't know about Percy, and he wasn't sure if anybody knew about them either.

Nico looked through one of the books, titled: _The basics of sketching – All you need to know_. There were tons and tons of sketches and words, and page by page he flipped on, finding that there were neat notes made in pencils at the sides of some drawings – most likely some notes that Percy made.

And at the end, there was a piece of paper, neatly folded into two.

Out of curiosity, Nico gave a quick glance to check if Percy was looking at him, and unfolded the piece of paper. He felt a little guilty for looking into this; he didn't know if it was private or anything, it could be something that Percy doesn't want others to know, or it's something that he isn't willing to share with anyone. The boy feels like his intruding into someone's privacy as he opened the paper with some dread – the fear that whatever fragile bond of friendship he had with Percy would be gone.

_It was a quite well-done sketch of a girl. _

It wasn't Annabeth, that was for sure.

_Or at least Nico hoped it wasn't._

The girl in the picture had her hair let down, with some of her hair in a braid that went around her forehead like a crown of flowers. She was dressed in an ancient Greek robe, bending down lightly over some flowers. The sketch was beautiful, to Nico.

But the only thing that ruined the whole piece of art was the face of the person.

It wasn't horribly drawn, _it wasn't even there_. There was just a blank where the person's face was supposed to be.

_Why? Why isn't there any face for the person? Why is the person faceless? Could it be that he doesn't know how to draw the face, to capture the person's emotions, or… _

_Who is this person, then again?_

Nico sneaked a peek at Percy. He was still engrossed in one of the books, and (hopefully) had not noticed the younger boy peeking through what might be private. Quickly, he folded that paper again, and put it back to its original position before closing the book and putting it back onto the shelf.

He took down the book right next to the one he had placed back onto the shelf.

Surprisingly, it was _Macbeth _by Shakespeare.

_Where everyone dies. How nice. _

Nico flipped through a few pages of the book, skipping through different scenes in the story.

_Maybe Lady Macbeth should've just poisoned Duncan._

Then he stopped.

There was a cream coloured envelope.

Carefully, and softly, Nico opened up the flap of the envelope. There was a piece of paper in it.

_A_ _letter_.

The boy took the paper out of the envelope, glancing at his crush to ensure that he wasn't looking, and read the letter.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~

_Dear Percy, _

_How are you? We haven't met up for quite a while since my parents had to move overseas. I know you're an avid stamp collector, and thus, I decided to send you a letter this time instead of the usual email, which is faster and much more efficient. I have also enclosed the limited edition nature-themed stamps which I had seen and decided to get at the post office. I hope you like it!_

_I realised that we've been friends for two years already, from your birthday. I guess it was a good choice. Though Annabeth still thinks otherwise (does she still?). I have no idea how you actually put up with her. _

_My parents have allowed me to go for your birthday party, for we're coming back to America for a few days before setting off for Japan, even though I'm not staying for the sleepover. I guess it was nice of them to do so, deciding to come back to America to allow me to celebrate your birthday with you. _

_Everything's fine for me. Being home-schooled has its own perks, except for the fact that I don't get to make as many new friends if I were to attend school. I've also started on some of the sketches for the comic I intend to draw, and I hope you can give me some of your opinions and suggestions. I'll send it to you through email, partially because I drew them online. It's much better than the traditional paper-and-pen method, and much neater as well. Though as to everything, it has its downsides too. _

_How's everything been for you? I hope everything's been going well for you. And as well, as you mentioned in your last letter, the kid you saw in school, how's he? It's pretty sad, I must say. I think at any rate I'm going to start my own anti-bullying campaign. It isn't fair for those kids. _

_I look forward to your reply. _

_Hugs and Kisses, _

_Calypso_

~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Calypso.

_Wasn't she the daughter of Atlas, that girl who was banned to the island 'Ogygia', who then promptly fell in love with Odysseus? Why would any parent even call their own daughter Calypso? _

The boy peeked into the envelope. There were no stamps in it.

_Percy must've kept them already. _

Instead, there was a picture of a girl.

The girl had shoulder length ash-blonde hair left untied, dyed with streaks of purple and green. She was wearing a tie-dyed T-shirt, with white knee-length capris and a colourful wooden bead necklace. She seemed to want to stand out from the crowd, to differentiate herself.

She was pretty.

Her skin was slightly tanned, and her eyes were blue, not electric blue, but a shade of calming yet mysterious greyish-blue, and even though it was just a picture, her eyes seemed to swirl and hypnotise Nico, pulling him in, reading all his secrets, looking right through him.

_Some say the eyes are the windows to a person's soul. Her eyes seemed not like the so-called window to her soul, but the one that peered through the 'windows' to his soul, reading, taking anything she wished with her, charming him, keeping him under her hypnotising control, like a servant. _

Nico wondered what Percy had to do with such a person.

"Nico," Percy began.

The boy quickly stuffed the letter back into the envelope.

"What are you doing?" There was a hint of anger in the older boy's voice.

_Percy. _

"What are you looking through?" His tone had dropped a little, becoming dangerous.

_I… I didn't mean it. _

Percy stepped forward and ripped the cream-coloured envelope from Nico's hands.

_I'm sorry. _

"Don't look through my things ever again without permission, get it?"

"Percy…" Nico began. "I-I didn't mean it. I just saw it, and… I got curious."

"That doesn't give you any right to look through people's stuff either!"

"I'm… I'm sorry." Nico bowed down his head slightly, not willing to meet Percy's furious gaze.

"_I'm sorry."_

Nico turned his head up.

"I shouldn't have blown up at you. I know you didn't mean to look through my things, but it's just… I don't really like people looking through my old stuff and things like that." His tone had softened, and he placed both his hands on the younger boy's shoulder, one on each side.

"How about some blue pancakes?"

~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Nico felt like pressing Percy for more information of the girl. The one that he saw in the sketch, and the one in the letter. He had a feeling that the two girls were somehow related, maybe because of the Greek get-up in the sketch, and the name of the girl in the letter, Calypso.

Stuffing a mouthful of the fluffy blue pancakes drowned in syrup, Nico chewed on it for a while before making a face. He had put a little bit too much of syrup.

_Then again, I shouldn't waste food. _

His thoughts wondered back to the faceless sketch. It didn't exactly per say scare him, but it left a very deep impression on him.

The picture wasn't _complete. _

It was missing the face.

_The face. _

_One of the most important parts in doing sketches of people. What facial features a person emphasizes on could sometimes tell a little about the person. _

But In this case, the face wasn't there.

_Incomplete. _

Could it be that Percy just didn't know how to capture the beauty of the person, how to draw those features, or could it have been something else?

Nico didn't know.

But he really wanted to know. His thirst for the answers was insatiable, and he wanted to know more about Percy. It wasn't just a silly infatuation that would pass. Nico wanted something that could last. He was looking for a sense of family, warmth, he wanted to know more about the person he liked, so he could love him more.

He sounded _silly. _

_Immature. _

_Stupid_.

But for all he cared, that was how he felt. He didn't see why he should bother about others.

"Percy."

"Nico."

"You go first," they said together.

"Um… I think you go first then, mine's just pretty trivial."

"'Kay then," Percy said. "You read the letter, right?"

"Y-yeah, why?" Nico stammered a little. He was afraid that Percy would get angry with him for infringing his privacy.

"_Aren't you curious who that girl is?"_

The answer did it. The boy wanted to ask Percy all those burning questions he had about the girl. _Who was she? Why does she know so much about Percy? Is she related to the girl in the sketch? _Things like that.

But Nico swallowed, and chose to answer: "Why do you ask, Percy?"

"I thought you might want to know."

_Percy was entrusting, putting his trust in Nico, that Nico wouldn't tell anyone about whatever Percy had told him. It was important to Nico, that Percy trusted him, didn't treat him like a friend, or at least a very superficial one at that. At least Nico had a gauge of how their relationship is like. To the extent that Percy would trust him, and was willing to share about something that was dear and private with Nico. _

"Are… are you comfortable with sharing then?"

"If I wasn't I wouldn't be asking you if you wanted to know. So if you have any questions, just ask them now, because I might just change my mind."

"Percy, who is she?"

"Calypso. Calypso Ascella."

"No, I mean like how is she related to you?"

"You sound like my mom."

"Uh…"

"Nothing. She's my ex, and also my good friend."

"Do you still meet up with her since she's your good friend?"

There was a moment of pregnant silence. Nico didn't dare to speak, but neither did Percy say anything. Something had changed the mood. A simple question.

The boy didn't know what to do, or how to react. It wasn't like every day that he'd come across such situations. He hardly talked to anyone, in fact.

Then Percy gave a small cough and replied, "I don't anymore. But if you'd like to meet her, I suggest you could get that rat poison in that cupboard and add it to your food. You might get to meet her."

"Oh. I didn't know."

"It's alright. It's been a while. Calypso wouldn't have liked it if I cried talking about her death."

"I hope you don't mind but-"Nico asked, unsure of how Percy would react. "How did she die?"

The older boy put down his silverware with a soft clink. There was an emotion, no, _many_ different emotions that Nico could not describe in Percy's eyes. One seemed to be the most prominent, though. It seemed like it was the undeniable feeling of anger, anger that comes from the pure knowledge of betrayal.

_Something that Nico had never seen from Percy. _

It was weird. It wasn't Percy at all.

"Percy… I think it's alright if you don't want to answer. I mean like, um… everyone has something that they're unable to share or bring up," Nico said, placing his own hand over Percy's.

Percy didn't say anything. He gave a small nod, picked up his silverware, and continued eating.

They ate their blue pancakes in silence, and it was only after the snack that the older boy whispered softly.

"_She was drowned."_

~ . ~ . ~ . ~

**A/N: I think I've made Percy a bit too emo. Uh oh. I personally find Percy too OOC, and I'm like oh well, can't do anything about it if I want to continue with my already planned plot. I'd really like to know what you think of the characters, are they too OOC, too weird, too different, I don't know, because yeah, I really am not sure of how you guys would actually think of it. And it seemed a little rushed at the end. I dunno. It seems like when I re-read it. Even so, I hope you guys liked it, and all and things like that. **

**I wouldn't really mind if you dropped me a review or two or something like that too. Heh. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Invisible**

**A/N: No damn I'm so sorry. T.T I didn't update this like ugh and anyways I was um… idk no excuses here, I was just lazy. This, well, I hope this story turns out well (in terms of writing), cos I haven't been writing, and I feel a little rusty… Plus I've only been writing in Chinese over the holidays XD so forgive me if there are like any weird/awkward phrasings and shit like that. XD Also I think I make no sense plus my writing style might have changed from previously. I feel a bit sad now… And with that I shall end the A/N here and I hope you like it. This chapter is dedicated to the person who read this 17 times and commented and made my day! (I'll try to do dedications to those who have supported this story!)**

**It's not proofread though, and I'm pretty sure when I missed out quite a bit of stuff when I re-read. XD So if you spot any errors just point it out. PERCICO FOREVER!**

**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson.**

"I'm really sorry, Percy. I-I didn't know, I, I shouldn't have asked you, like I mean…" Nico was really sorry. He wanted to know, but not at the expense

_Expense?_

Of Percy's feelings.

He didn't like seeing Percy like that. It was weird, it made him scared.

But most of all it made him worried.

Percy didn't seem like somebody who would hold grudges. Somebody who would be angry at others.

_The phrasing, Nico, the phrasing. _

Calypso. She drowned.

_No, _she _was _drowned.

_She was drowned. _

If she had drowned by herself by accident at the sea or something, Percy wouldn't be that angry. Percy wouldn't have used 'was' in his sentence.

Someone had drowned Calypso, and surely, it was someone Percy and the girl knew well.

_Who could it be then?_

Some part of Nico told him not to dig any deeper. He shouldn't know anymore.

_That he shouldn't pop that little bubble of secrets. _

Maybe he shouldn't, maybe he shouldn't _have_ at all, but it was too late.

_He was not going to stop here. _

~.~.~.~

The next day at school was the worst.

Perhaps not the worst, but bad enough.

The moment he opened his locker, the scent of rotten meat filled his nose.

Something bitter rose up his throat, and he cupped a hand over his mouth, trying his best to suppress his half-digested breakfast from escaping him through his mouth.

The scent travelled very quickly, and the people near Nico quickly shunned, some turning slightly green in the face. Some students stopped to see what happened, but walked away the moment the scent hit them.

There was also something red smeared all over his books.

Nico was angry. He was furious.

No, that didn't make the cut. It was something straight out of the burning fire.

But his fear, his fear of what was going to happen next won that fury.

Fists clenched by his sides, he could feel the back of his eyes burning, then clouding his vision.

Clear, salty liquid travelled down his cheeks, leaving a burning trail before dripping down his chin.

_Drip, drip, drip._

_"Such a cry baby, haha!" _

_"Are you waiting for your prince charming to get you, you faggot?"_

_"What, you really think he'll come for you, you piece of shitwad?"_

_I'm not. _

_I'm not. _

_So, so what if I'm gay?_

_It doesn't make any difference that I'm like you. We're all the same. _

_I'm not any different. _

_Why must you do this?_

_I'm not. I'm not I'm not I'mnotI'mnotItoldyoualready_

"Shut up!"

Everyone fell silent,

And stopped.

Stopped with all they did, all their conversations, all their thoughts.

Then they saw, the pale boy who wore black clothes with skeletal designs. The boy whose fists were clenched, the boy who cried out of anger and fear and something unknown.

And they somehow, unanimously, acknowledged his existence.

He was there, and he was not to be ignored.

He was everyone else, but also himself, with a unique identity.

The boy who was invisible was now seen and heard.

~.~.~.~

Leading the trio this time wasn't Clarisse, but Annabeth.

Annabeth didn't seem to do much, but Nico knew very clearly that she was the person that Percy liked.

Though why the three had chosen to pick on him wasn't clear.

Yeah, he knew that he was gay, and he liked Percy, but it was obvious that Percy didn't like him. Neither was there anything really wrong about him being gay. Plus, he wasn't the only gay student in the school. There were so many others.

The three were approaching, getting closer and closer to him.

He knew clearly that one of them had

_Or the three_

Dumped the rotten meat into his locker.

Nico wanted to go up to confront them. To ask them why they did this, why they dumped the meat into his locker, why they treated him this way, why they even wanted to do this in the first place.

But the moment Annabeth placed her hand on his shoulder, all anger dissipated.

His fury had left him, so had all his courage. All that was left was fear.

The boy feared the trio.

Clarisse was buff, she seemed to be able to pummel everyone in the school, but she wasn't the scary one. Clea, on the other hand, had a wide circle of friends. You could call her the popular girl, along with Annabeth, but wasn't as scary as Annabeth, who had the brains too.

Annabeth scared him. A lot.

_The most. _

He didn't get why Percy would like her.

She was smart and pretty, granted. Many people liked her too, had a crush on her, swooned for her.

There was no surprise though, that Annabeth and Percy would get together. They seemed to always spend their time together, and they never said anything bad about the other.

_A rather close relationship._

"Hey Nico." Annabeth's voice was cold, _freezing_ even. "Percy. You know Percy likes you right?"

_What? Percy likes him? That's…_

"I-I…"

"He didn't tell you?" The girl grits her teeth, jealousy and hatred prominent on her face, distorting her relatively fine features. "How sad," she sneers, pushing Nico backwards.

The boy backs away, until his back hit against the hard concrete walls that were common in his school.

They had cornered him effectively.

_No, no… go away… go away…!_

Annabeth raised her hand and slapped Nico with the back of the hand, her sharp nails scratching and breaking his skin, causing it to bleed.

The hot red crimson liquid slowly seeped out of the wound, mixing with the beads on perspiration that had rolled down from his forehead.

Nico bit his bottom lip, trying not to cry out from the pain, his hands gripping against the rough surface of the wall.

_I can't cry, not now, not ever._

"Why, pretty boy, you wanna cry?" Clarisse mocks, her voice high and shrill. "Cry then!" She sends her fist into Nico's stomach, and the boy doubles over, putting an arm over his abdomen.

The fist was followed by a kick from Clea, and Nico slides down against the wall, huddling into a ball, trying to make himself as small as possible.

"Beg us, beg us and we'll let you go," a voice

_Annabeth's voice_

Spoke, with a certain degree of cruelty.

_No._

_I can't - ouch- _

_No – _

_I'm not –_

_I – _

_Ouch –_

_This…_

_I – don't want to go through this, I don't want to get hurt anymore…_

"Please… I beg you, stop…" Nico's small, hesitant voice pleaded.

"Humph. Not enough. More. You don't sound too convincing."

"Hey Annabeth, you said you had something to tell him right? He's still kinda conscious with his thoughts, wanna tell him first?" Clarisse suggests, pulling a slightly limp Nico by the collar of his shirt.

"I'll warn you now, Nico." Annabeth grips Nico's chin and brings him closer to her face. "You, don't even think about going near Percy, no matter what he does, because or else I'll be going for your sister's grave. Do you get me?"

"NOT MY SISTER, ANNABETH, DON'T YOU TOUCH MY SISTER'S GRAVE!" Nico lunges out, but was restrained back by Clarisse and kneed in the gut. The boy sputters and coughs, trying to regain his breath.

"Clarisse and Clea, go a little lighter on him. We wouldn't want to hurt his pretty little body too much, or else Percy will get angry at me," she adds, crossing her arms.

By the end of the day, Nico drags himself back under the setting sun, every movement hurting.

~.~.~.~

**A/N: Hahaha. Motivation is a good thing, because I completed this chapter in a day. Okay, I hope you guys liked it anyways, and I'll be updating soon!**

**Remember to review okay? Love ya~! 3 **


	5. Chapter 5

**Invisible**

**A/N: Since I have a lot of time, I might as well just continue writing. XD This chapter is dedicated to Zara_Warrior on Wattpad! **

**Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson **

Percy had promised to meet him after school.

The wounds on his face were just passed off as a scratch by a cat while he was playing with it.

"But Nico, you don't really like animals…?" Percy asks, his face full of concern and some suspicion. His hand reaches out to touch the wound to give it a look, but Nico flinches away, and swats Percy's concerning hand away.

"It's fine, Percy. You- you don't need to worry about it," Nico answers, a little flustered. "I'm fine, so yeah, you don't have to worry, you know?"

"Nico…"

"Percy, really, just – you don't have to bother so much about me. Why do you even care?" Nico's words turned out more agitated than he had expected, and his voice was just slightly below a shout.

The older boy furrowed his brows, some hurt apparent in his eyes.

"Nico, what happened? Tell me, Nico," Percy asked, unable to keep that hurt from seeping into his voice and grabs Nico by the shoulders.

The younger boy doesn't want to say anything. He turns his head away from Percy, not wanting to face the other boy.

"Please, Percy. Go away. You'll hurt me more if you insist on something like this," Nico says, with

Percy narrows his eyes.

"Annabeth. Did Annabeth tell you not to be near me?"

Nico's eyes widened a little and he pursed his lips even tighter.

"Come on, Nico." Percy looks at him, his gaze this time softer. "I won't let Annabeth hurt you. Really."

The boy shakes his head furiously, very reluctant to reveal anything.

"Nico, trust me. We'll go look for Annabeth now." Percy lets go of his hold on Nico's shoulders and grabs his hand, pulling him along.

Nico doesn't want to move, and he stays at the same spot, refusing to move or say anything.

"Nico. Really. Come. I'll talk to Annabeth. Don't worry," Percy bends down to assure Nico, giving him a smile.

_A warm smile. _

Nico averts his gaze.

He doesn't want to. Annabeth's threat had too much weight and influence on him.

_If this is all it takes for everything to stop, I'd… I'd rather not like Percy._

"Nico. Trust me."

_How, how do I trust you?_

"Nico, this can't go on anymore. Annabeth has to stop." Percy sighs, carding his free hand through his hair.

The silence continues, and everything comes to a standstill.

Percy leads Nico to a nearby bench and they sit, Percy taking out a small bag of blue candies and offering some to Nico. The boy meekly refuses the offer and continues to sit with his head hung down, gaze affixed on his shoes.

"I don't think you know, but…" Percy's voice falters a little towards the end. "But Annabeth's behind everything. She's got information from everywhere, and I don't even know where sometimes. She resourceful, pretty…"The older boy pauses a little here.

"But she's also really manipulative, you know? Whatever she wants, she'll get them.

"Don't forget the other two people who are really close to Annabeth. Clarisse's got the strength, but not much of brains. Neither does she give a fuck about anything, which pretty much sums up why Annabeth's so chummy with someone like her. You know, to put the blame on someone when she gets into trouble?"

Percy pops a candy – a blue gummy bear – into his mouth, and chews on it for a while.

"I don't know much about Clea, you know. But I know she's a transfer student, and she's filthy rich. That's about it.

"Annabeth, well, I can't say I didn't like her when I first saw her. She was like 'woah' and everything, but maybe, maybe after a couple of years when I found my, well, sexuality and all. I haven't told anyone yet, except for Calypso." Percy's eyes are far away, as if looking at something he'll never be able to reach.

_Something too far away, and something too painful. _

"Haha, I forgot, you don't know Calypso. She's something like my childhood friend, and my ex. Also a really good friend after we broke up. You know, we both felt as if nothing really was going to come out of this relationship so we broke up. We maintained some pretty good relations, and I trusted her a lot. We could actually connect well enough with each other.

"She was a nice girl. Not too popular, but good with people. Her parents migrated to another country a couple of years back. But she…"

His voice started to become a little choked and hoarse. "I'm sorry, Nico, didn't mean to bring up something so teary."

"I- I don't mind."

_But why? _

The other boy is surprised at the sudden confession that Percy is making. Why, why is Percy doing this, telling him so many things?

_Why does Percy even trust him?_

"Sure. Let's go look for Annabeth?" Percy suggests, giving Nico a small smile.

_I gave you my trust._

"I-I…"

_I don't know if I should…_

"I'll take that as a yes?"

_I hope you do though._

"I-I… okay. Let's go."

_I'll trust you. _

~.~.~.~

They quickly found Annabeth and the other two seated in the corner of a popular café near their school.

"Hey, Annabeth."

Nico quickly tried his best to hide behind Percy, tried not to let his face –

_his fear –_

show.

"Is that Nico behind you, Percy?" Annabeth asks, sweet smile plastered on her face.

She had noticed, they came in holding hands.

_I told the boy already. That fucker. Doesn't he understand me clear enough?_

"Yeah. It's Nico. I told him already. _I like him._" Percy had placed extra emphasis on the last three words, pulling a very reluctant Nico from behind him. Lowering his voice, he continued, "you clearly know we've broken up already. It's obvious. I believe you found out I liked Nico long ago. Stop deceiving yourself."

The girl stands up and walks away, out of the shop. Percy seemed to take it as a signal to follow her, and told Nico to stay near the counter at the entrance in case Clarisse and Clea decides to do anything to him.

"…I've had enough of this shit, Annabeth. You've been fucking unreasonable, you know?"

Nico doesn't mean to eavesdrop, but they stood too close to where he stood. He really didn't want to listen,

_To infringe on _someone's _privacy._

"Annabeth, really, you're going far too overboard. What are you trying to do, threatening Nico? Haven't you learnt your lesson from the last time?"

"Hah. Calypso deserved it. So does Nico." There was a slight pause. "You know I love you, Percy. I'll make you mine no matter what."

"You clearly know I'm gay. I like Nico. And we were long over, Annabeth. Why can't you just get it?" Percy's tone seemed exasperated, like as if he had enough with everything.

_Over and over again. She doesn't get it, does she. _

"You're mine, Percy." Annabeth's voice had turned into something determined and possessive. "I won't let anyone else get you. And I don't care that you're gay. I'll make sure you'll become straight for me."

"Too much, Annabeth. You're too much. Don't you dare do anything to Nico or I'll make sure you'll never see me again. I'm going." Percy turns and pushes open the glass door, then grabbing Nico's hand and leaving the café.

~.~.~.~

"You heard everything?" Percy asks.

Nico admitted everything he heard to Percy, but Percy didn't seem to mind that fact.

"I think you should know too," the older boy says, ruffling Nico's hair like a little kid, before taking off his jacket that he wore since morning and slinging it over his shoulders.

"Per-Percy…?" Nico asks unsurely.

The older boy turns back. "Yeah, Nico?"

"Did you mean what you said… that you…" Nico fumbled with the hem of his sleeve, not able to complete the sentence due to something like embarrassment and far too much hormones flooding his brain, causing his brain to not be able to function properly.

"Haha, that I liked you? Yeah, that was true. Why do you think Annabeth would pick on you then?" Percy grins a little, then bends down.

"You know what? I noticed you because you were different. And I like you because I like you. That simple. It's a bonus that you're cute too." He chuckles a bit, and then pecked Nico's cheek lightly.

"See you tomorrow!"

Nico blushed.

~.~.~.~

**A/N: It was fun to write the last bit. XD Nico's such a cutie-pie~**

**But yeah, I'm sorry if this was quite the informative chapter like I dumped practically the whole backstory here lol. XD  
Okay anyway I hoped you liked it, and by the way, reviews make my day! XD**


	6. Chapter 6

**Invisible**

**A/N: Aaaaand… I'm back from a long break! I might be a little rusty, so just bear with me a bit while I struggle to write XD Annabeth's really annoying sometimes lel, sorry if I made her too insane. I only like her when she's off with Reyna or Piper XD I hope you like this chapter, and I'll try to update soon~**

**Warning: Cheesy lines because I don't know how to write them okay. I mean I haven't dated before (really) and I have like totally no experience. So please bear with me T.T**

**This chapter is dedicated to the lovely Tokiic on Wattpad! I hope you like it!**

**Chapter 6**

_Was that… real?_

Nico could still feel the tingling sensation of Percy's lips on his cheek, and his cheeks immediately reacted, burning at the replay of that certain scene.

_It was just a simple kiss-on-the-cheek._

Fireworks and blooming flowers seemed a bit too cliché, and that couldn't really describe what actually went through him.

Nico, at that moment desperately wanted to find a hole and hide into, because it was too embarrassing. His face was burning, really hot, and he was pretty sure he was really red, and his face was really hot.

_I wonder what Percy thought of me at that time…_

Then there came the overwhelming surprise and maybe…

_Joy?_

Damn, that was just…

_What the fuck are you doing, Nico?_

Nico shook his head, trying to get the thought out of his mind. It'd look odd if he went home with this sort of dreamy and in-love expression, or with a tomato-red face.

_Though maybe… if Percy hadn't liked me in the first place._

~.~.~.~

It was a bright, sunny day with sunlight streaming through windows and all that fanciful, cheesy descriptions.

Sure as it was, Percy was waiting in front of the school gate for Nico, keeping the promise he had made yesterday.

_No shit no shit no shit, what do I do now? Do I wave? Do I say hi?_

Hyperventilating, Nico blushes furiously, looking down at his shoes.

A shadow casts over his feet, blocking out the light, and for a moment, Nico thought it was going to be Annabeth –

_Annabeth who was here to take her anger out on him_.

"Hey Nico."

"Percy…?" Nico asks, unsure, keeping his gaze firmly on the black, gravelly road.

The older boy ruffles his hair lightly, and pulls Nico in an embrace. "Who did you think it was?"

Muffling his face in Percy's shirt, Nico takes in the salty scent of the sea that seemed to be always present.

He loved it, _no_, adored this scent that Percy constantly wore. It reminded him of so many things,_ so_ many things.

Like when he still had a proper family, a time when his father was still alive, a time where his mother smiled, a time when…

A time when his sister hasn't died.

_I have Percy now. _

_Here, with me. _

Percy pulls away, and Nico complies reluctantly, but not before Percy intertwined his fingers with Nico's.

The warmth of Percy's hand was comforting, and maybe just that little bit electrifying. It gave him a sense of security, a form of affirmation, something that assured him that Annabeth –

_Annabeth _

Wasn't coming –

_going _

to come –

_hunt _

him down.

Simply to put, he felt safe.

There was a general sense of surprise, wonder and curiosity, as they walked past the little cliques gathered here and there and into the school, though no one said anything, or asked anything.

Everything carried on as per normal, nothing changed.

Maybe except for the new couple, fingers threaded, walking into the school.

~.~.~.~

Annabeth felt the need to step up everything.

"Clarisse!" she shrilled, holding up her phone screen. "Look at this. _This,_ is downright outrageous. I can't believe Percy would dare to do this in front of everyone! Look at this, it's all over Instagram, _all over!_ Everyone's going to laugh at me now, especially that Piper! The hell does Percy think he is doing?"

Clearly, with just brawns and a few brain scraps, she kept quiet and looked at Annabeth, eyes glinting with a certain cruelty.

The blonde was trembling, trembling with anger and fury and excitement. She was going to hurt Nico, hurt Nico so bad he wouldn't _dare_ to offend her anymore, make him fear her.

Fear was the best tool when it came to controlling others.

"Do you think what I'm thinking, Clarisse?" Annabeth lowers her trembling voice.

The other girl gave a small nod, lips contorting into a smile.

"_Definitely_, Annabeth."

~.~.~.~

It wasn't the first time Nico had found the lock to his locker picked and his locker smeared with odd clear, jelly white substances and dead carcasses of animals in the midst of his books.

It stunk like shit, and Nico knew he had to clean this up again. It was a tedious process, and although he knew who did all these, there was no way that he could protest or say anything.

_Who else? _

A hand slammed next to his head, making Nico jump.

"Hey Nico," a familiar smooth voice says –

_Annabeth_

"I want to make an agreement with you." And she throws her head back and laughs, sounding almost insane. Then, without any warning, she backhands Nico across his cheek, her nails drawing red, angry streaks down his face.

"Actually no, you'll _have to _agree with me."

Nico tries to stare at her, mustering all the courage he has got, but nothing came.

_I'm mild. I'm scared. I'm not brave enough. _

He didn't want to feel this useless. He doesn't want to be that damsel in distress just waiting for that prince in shining armour to come and save him. He wants to try to stand up, to fight back.

He wants to hold on to what he has, to what he loves, to what he treasures.

_No, he doesn't want to lose them anymore._

The boy's hands balled up into fists, knuckles turning white, angry.

Angry at himself, angry at Annabeth, angry at Clarisse for picking on him, angry that he could never do anything to protect himself, to gather up enough courage just to go pursue and believe something he always had, to be dare to love someone he always has.

"…so how? Do you agree?" "

Nico didn't hear one word of what she said, not one word.

"Did you even hear me speak?"

_No I didn't, and I don't want to. _

"How dare you -"

The boy kneed Clarisse in the stomach and smashed his book over her head, knocking her to the ground.

Somehow, there was a newfound strength in him that he didn't know where it came from.

Annabeth was furious. She should have known to tell Clea that this was more important than the date with her girlfriends.

She didn't expect the boy to retaliate. She thought –

_thought _

he would compromise with everything she told him to. She thought she could beat him into submission.

"Annabeth, before you say or do anything to me, remember, I won't agree with you unless it's something I truly believe in," Nico says in an unyielding voice, eyes firmly staring into the girl's grey ones.

"Please, don't ever try what you think will make me fear you. I might have used to fear you, but now, _I don't_. I've thought it through, and you aren't going to make me scared anymore.

"You do clearly know that Percy doesn't like you anymore, to begin with, he was hardly in love with you. No point hanging on, Annabeth."

Annabeth was surprised at this sudden change of attitude in the boy. "So what do you think you can do if I continue to bully you hmmn?" Grabbing his hair forcefully, she slams Nico's face right into the locker, and the boy could feel a thick, metallic liquid flow down his upper lip and into his mouth.

_Blood. _

"I'll come back soon. You just wait, Nico. Let's go, Clarisse."

Nico could hear the soft thuds that their footsteps made echo and then disappear down the hallway. He pushed himself up, pretty sure he got a broken nose after touching his swelling nose and the blood flowing out from it.

First, he was going to clean this mess up. Two –

He was going to solve this without the help of Percy.

~.~.~.~

**A/N: Shit I'm done. WHOOOOO~ But eughhh don't you find that character change in Nico a little odd and a bit too sudden? Whoops. Sorry. **

**Idk anyways I hope you guys liked this chapter okay. I really do. I'll try to errr write soon. (Right)**

**Please, if you have comments on this story, please leave a review! I haven't been writing in such a loooooong while I don't know if it's still up to my former standards T.T**


End file.
